Post-card frame.



H. H. SGHLUETER.

POST CARD FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

ATTO R N EY CULLAHUA FLANOGRAFH CoqwASHlNGToN. D. c.

UNITED s'rarns .Arnnr onion.

HENRY I-I. SCHLUETER, OF CANISTOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN F. SCHLUETER, OF CANISTOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA. i

POST-CARD FRAME.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY H. SoHLUn'rER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canistota, in the county of McCook and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Post-Card Frame of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in frames designed especially for post cards, but which may be used for other purposes.

The present invention comprises a frame of smaller outline than the article to be framed with corner members projecting diagonally from the frame and shaped to receive and hold the corners of the card to be framed, while at an intermediate point a leg member is produced which may be bent to support the frame after the manner of an easel and which may also serve as a means for sustaining the frame with a picture therein in a pendent position from a suitable support.

The invention is more particularly intended for post cards and is of a. size and so constructed as to be in the main within the margins of the post card while all the parts may be bound to the post card against accidental displacement, so as not to be lost in the mails, since the whole structure may be mailed without inclosure, the frame being so intimately connected to the post card as to preclude the liability of accidental displacement.

The improved frame structure is susceptible of manufacture from wire and in some forms from a single piece of wire and this wir may be of a character to be manipulated by the fingers of the possessor, so that the leg portion can be made fast to a post card in a. manner to prevent its displacement accidentally but which may be readily bent at one end out of engagement with a post card and then bent at the other end into such angular relation-to the post card and at such a distance therefrom at the free end as to serve as a support permitting the post card to be set on a level surface without toppling over. The junction part of what may be termed the leg portion of the frame with the body port-ion of the frame may also be so formed as to constitute an eye permitting the post card to be hung upon a pin or nail or hook at a suitable elevation.

The invention will be best understood Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 759,679.

from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings. but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings :--Figure 1 is an elevation of a frame constructed in accordance with the present invention and designed to embrace a post card so that the latter may be supported with its longer diameter approximately horizontal. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the arrangement of the frame whereby the card may be supported with its shorter diameter approximately horizontal. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing in dotted lines the position assumed when the leg portion of the frame is spread out. Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary detailed views of different corner constructions which may be employed. Fig. 5 also showing an ornamental frame construction.

Referring to the drawings there is shown frame composed of two long members 1, 2 and two shorter members 3, 4:, the members 1 and 2 being parallel one to the other and the members 3 and lbeing parallel to each other but perpendicular to the members 1 and 2. The longer members may constitute the top and bottom of the frame or the sides thereof in accordance with the character of the picture to be framed. The ends of the longer members cross the ends of the shorter members and extend beyond the same and in the structure shown in Figs. land 2 each extended end of each long member is connected to th corresponding extended end of the corresponding short member by a diagonal connecting portion 5 which may oifstand laterally with respect to the plane of the body of the frame to an extent to permit the passage of the corners of a post card indicated in dotted lines at 6, the diagonally connecting member being usually located at the back of the card, while the frame members 1 to 4: overlie the front or face of the card.

At an intermediate point of one of the long members, say the member 1 of Fig. 1, or one of the short members, say the member a of Fig. 2, there is produced a loop 7 which may extend from the respective member carrying it to a greater distance than the extent of the ends of the longer and shorter members beyond each other. One leg of the loop 7, this bein the shorter leg, is the one which joins the respective long or short member carrying it, while the other leg of the loop, indicated at 18, is sutliciently prolonged and ordinarily is so directed as to extend to the other side or end of the post card from the loop 7 and beyond such side or end and when the device is applied to a post card the leg 8 is back of the post card, while the shorter leg of the loop 7 is in front thereof and the free end of the leg 8, which free end is indicated. at 9, is bent upon itself so as to embrace the correspendin edge of the post card, such free end when embracing the post card extending in front thereof. Since the post card is in the form of a somewhat elongated rectangle the frame of the present invention is similarly shaped but the free opening of the frame is considerably smaller than the size of the post card due to the corner prolongations which are in diagonal relation to the main body of the frame as defined by the long and short members thereof.

The whole frame may be formed of a single piece of wire of suitable gage and character bent into the form of a rectangle with the diagonally extended corner members and one end of the wire is connected to the other end portion of the wire by a twist 10, forming one terminal portion of the loop 7 while the prolonged portion or leg 8 of the loop defines the distance from the other end of the wire to which the first named end is connected. Of course, other means of fastening than twisting may be employed, wherefore the twist 10 may be taken as indicative of any means of connecting the parts together, and not as confining the invention to a twist.

The diagonal corner portions are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as substantially triangular in outline, but such particular form is not obligatory, for as shown in l? 4 the con necting member 5 and the ends of the long and short members may where they connect be returned upon themselves to form hooks 11 to embrace the corner portions of the post card, holding such corner portions quite firmly. Nor is it necessary that the structure be made of one piece of wire for the longer and shorter members may be formed of separate pieces of wire twisted together at the corners, as indicated at 12 in Fig. 5, and may be provided with prolongations 13 of these twisted ends bent into the form of hooks adapted to embrace the corner portions of the post card 1 seated therein.

In Figs. 1 to 1 the long and short frame members are shown as straight, but these end members may be of ornamental configuration, as shown at 14: and 15 in Fig. 5. The long members 1 and 2 and the short members 3 and i define a frame of less exterior size in all directions than the article to be framed which in the present instance is a post card, and the frame so defined is provided with diagonally projecting corner members shaped to receive and hold the corresponding corners of the rectangular post card, which corner portions project beyond. the holding diagonal parts. doreovcr, the frame sustaining member constitutes an additional means for holding the card and name together, and presents no projecting parts which would be liable to injure the mail. when the post card equipped with the frame is sent through the mail. W hen the person for whom the post card is intended receives it, it may be hung upon a wall by means of a pin or other device traversing the loop 7, the leg 8 being out of sight behind the card, Or if the receiver so desires the end 9 of the leg 8 may be bent to release it from embracing relation to the card, whereupon the leg 8 may be bent at the loop 7 to carry the end 9 away from the corresponding edge of the card and the card may be set up as upon an easel, this last named position of the parts being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

lhe frame is designed as an attachment for picture post cards whether photographic or otherwise, whereby such cards may be positioned for ready and artistic display and either set upon a table or hung upon a wall as the owner may desire.

A frame with its side and end members wholly located within the margins of the article framed is more or less protected by such article and in the case of a post card for which the present invention is especially designed the frame so far as its supporting characteristics are concerned may be made very cheaply of wire and were it not for the protection afforded by the card itself to the frame, would easily become damaged in transit through the mails, especially where no exterior protection in the form of wrapping is provided. Moreover, the frame being substantially all inside the borders of the post card is not open to the objection of being at all injurious to other mail matter.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A picture frame comprising body members having terminal extensions entirely beyond the borders of the frame as defined by the meeting portions of the body mem bers, said terminal extensions being shaped to form retaining means wholly exterior to the frame and in part displaced beyond the back of the frame for the insertion of the corners of the object to beframed with the body members in front of the framed object, and one of the body members having means thereon extending to the back of the frame for the support of the latter.

2. A picture frame comprising top and bottom and end members in meeting relation and each extended beyond the meeting points with the others, said extended portions being connected at the extremities to form retaining means for the corners of the picture to be framed and wholly outside the space defined by the meeting portions of the top, bottom and end members, and said frame being constructed to be located in front of the picture and provided with supporting means extended from the frame to the back of the picture when framed.

3. A picture frame comprising a wire structure composed of top, bottom and end members meeting at the corners and extended beyond the meeting points and at the extremities of the extensions connected and shaped to form retaining means for the corners of a picture larger than the frame defined by the top, bottom and end members, and an intermediate leg member carried by one of the other members and shaped to embrace an edge portion of the picture or to be moved into supporting relation to the frame.

4:. A picture frame comprising a wire structure composed of top, bottom, and end members in corner meeting relation and extended beyond the meeting points with the extremities of the extended portions joined by connecting parts and shaped to form retaining means for the corners of a picture of larger size than the frame defined by the top bottom and end members, and a leg member connected at one end to the frame so as to form a suspending loop and at the other end adapted to be bent about the corre sponding edge of a picture lodged in the frame to embrace such edge.

5. A picture frame composed of wire and comprising top, bottom and end members in crossing relation at the corners of the frame and extended beyond such crossing points with the extremities of the extended portions joined by a diagonally disposed connection, and a leg member shaped at one end in the form of a loop and there connected to one of the members of the frame intermediate of the length thereof and at the other end adapted to be bent into embracing relation to the corresponding edge of a picture or to be bent away from the picture to form a supporting member.

6. A post card provided with a supporting frame of substantially rectangular form and of smaller size than the post card with corner extensions in diagonal relation there to shaped to constitute retaining loops for the corners of the post card through which the corners extend and one of the frame members having a leg member fast thereto with said leg member shaped to form an outwardly extending loop of greater length than the distance from the frame member to the adjacent edge of the card and from thence extending along the face of the card remote from the frame to the other edge thereof and there shaped for bending in embracing relation to the card.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' HENRY H. SCHLUETER. Witnesses J. A. BEANER,

LIZZIE Bnrsnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 6. 

